LEWISTON — When Jim Thornton was hired, lured away from the accounting department at a hot dog plant, the Sun Journal was still two daily newspapers, the company didn’t yet own any weeklies and the Web wasn’t a thought.

After a 30-year career, Thornton, vice president and business manager of Sun Media Group, is retiring March 29.

“It’s been a challenge, for sure, a lot of technology changes, too,” Thornton said.

Thornton is a Lewiston native, a graduate of the Class of 1971, who now lives in South Portland. His mother, Jackie Thornton, worked at the newspaper in advertising for 30-plus years. Thornton was hired as controller in 1982, later became business manager and moved into his current role in 1994.

“I was mentored by Jim Sr. (publisher Jim Costello Sr.),” he said. “When I first came, all of Jim Sr.’s kids were just young.”  They were still learning the newspaper business. It’s been fun to watch them grow into their careers, he said. “They’re a great family to work for.”

Costello called Thornton an asset.

“Jim was instrumental in automating our accounting, budgeting and financial processes and bringing them into the modern age,” Costello said. “He has been a solid leader and an integral part of our management team. We have been very fortunate to have Jim working with us for the past 30 years and we really do think of him as part of our extended family.”

Thornton’s job included financial reporting for Sun Media Group, made up of the Sun Journal and nine weekly papers. He told the Costellos of his impending retirement two years ago and has been training a replacement, R.J. Gagnon, since August. Gagnon is a financial analyst.

Thornton plans to take in more golf, travel more to the West Coast to see his two daughters, spend time with his wife, Lorrie, and enjoy not getting up at 5 a.m. so he can be in the office by 7.

He sees the newspaper industry transitioning to the Web and Sun Media Group is no different, Thornton said.

“Bringing (new media director) Tony (Ronzio) on board was a big step,” he said. “We need to donate more resources to digital.

“The challenge all print publishers have is to bring in the digital revenue to offset the print revenue. That’s our challenge as an industry. I feel bad about missing this adventurous part.”

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